Korean Beauty Haul

Continuing with “Hauluary” (full credit goes to GymBagMakeup for this term!), I bought a bunch of Korean beauty items – this haul consists of an online order as well as a visit to a local Korean store.
There’s a new Korean beauty kiosk inside the local Korean grocery store that carries TonyMoly stuff among others so I had to pay a visit. 🙂

Etude House Skin Note Hydrogel Mask (Brightening Up, Deep Moisture) – $5 ea
I have yet to try these newfangled sheet masks made from hydrogel – they’re quite pricey usually ($10+ per mask) but I saw these for $5 each online so I’m giving them a try.

Donginbi Red Ginseng Radiance Cushion BB #23 Calm Beige – $45
This is my first ever cushion BB! I’d never heard of the brand Donginbi but I was advised that it’s a high quality line focused on red ginseng. I was hesitant but this brand seemed to be really premium and not too overpriced. I’d been really pleased before when I tried a higher end BB cream so I am giving this a try. I like that it comes with a free refill! I also received a 20% discount on this item. 😀

The best part about Korean beauty hauling? Samples!
I really enjoyed shopping at the little kiosk – the lady who helped me was knowledgeable and helpful but not pushy. Are you a fan of Korean beauty products? Have you tried any of these?

I ordered the items from an eBay store and shipping is free! There are loads on eBay with similar prices and they all stock similar items from various Korean brands. Really good service and reasonable prices – I like that you can get a whole bunch of brands at once.

You need to image google “Holika Holika foot peel” – those pictures are exactly what happens to my feet! 😮 My feet do feel a bit tender afterwards because the thick protective skin is gone but it’s temporary.
I’ve mostly tried Korean skincare but I’m be interested in branching more into makeup items like lipstick and blush.

Oooh samples! I’ve had a foot mask sitting around for a while, so I guess I’ll have to try it soon. It’s not a peeling mask, though, but a paraffin wax mask. Memebox’s hydrogel masks usually run closer to $5, and sometimes as low as $2 if you need a cheaper place to fulfill your habit!

That foot mask sounds disgusting but intriguing. 🤔 I need to find a place here that sells Korean Beauty Products, I’ve seen a couple Tony Moly products at the Bay but they were mostly lip balms. I think Sephora sells some of their stuff too?

Yes I think Sephora carries a handful of TonyMoly stuff but I find their prices inflated. For instance that Bunny Pocket mist – it’s $4 more at Sephora than the Korean store. You can definitely find it for even cheaper online, if you’re willing to wait for shipping. Shipping wasn’t too bad for me – it took about 3 weeks to arrive.
The foot mask is gross and AWESOME!

What a great haul. I wish we had Korean stuff over here, but it isn’t as much of a hit here in Europe. Looking forward to all of your reviews so I can see what works Except the foot mask maybe..that just seems weird.
xo Anne

I think I have the Tony Moly version somewhere too, and I’ve yet to try it. I really liked the results of the Holika Holika one so I wanted to restock on that. I hope you’ll like the Tony Moly version! How long are you gone for?

I love Korean masks. I feel like the rest of the world are only starting to catch up to Korean cosmetic and skincare. Not sure about the currency but the masks sound expensive. I usually only pay $1-$2AUD for the regular etude masks, but I guess retailers need to make their money too. 🙂

Oh, yes the TonyMoly Panda! Seriously, the packaging is reason enough to purchase,lol. Oh, the peel for the feet sounds great. Someone told me she tried a similar product and loved it, though like you, her skin shed for a bit. Seems like you got great stuff! I tried the AmorePacific CC cushion and while I did love it, I think I had a bit of a reaction to it.

My friend swears by the AmorePacific CC Cushion but it seemed so pricey! I see now there are all sorts of drugstore brands coming out with their own versions. I even saw that MAC has one now too! It’s crazy how these trends trickle down.
I highly recommend the foot peel – a guilty pleasure of mine!

Yes, the Amore Pacific is pricey but I will say I did some shopping around and you get your money’s worth. You get the CC cushion and then you get a replacement as well. It’s a bit bigger than the Lancôme one too. Even the lady at the Lancôme counter told me it was a better deal. Yes, I know Target has Laniege with BB creams and yes I’m starting to see some at drugstores as well. Yes, I should do a peel before warmer weather starts setting in, lol. I think I saw some at Urban Outfitters so I will check it out next time I go. 😃

If you can find them, try to get your hands on the Etude House Play 101 pencils. Multi-purpose pencils that are long lasting and nicely pigmented. If you already have those then just wave back! Hi Stashy! 😛

No I don’t have Etude House Play 101 pencils. I just looked it up and wow, so many colours to choose from! Thanks for letting me know about them. Etude House cosmetics is something I’m looking to try. 🙂 Hi Harivain!

I want all of the TM everythings. They have the most adorable packaging! This is an awesome haul, I want to know about everything! I was completely in the dark about the hydrogel masks but they sound like something I might desperately need.
Wordpress has been weird this last week. I think that around the time it was blocking your posts it also ate a whole bunch of posts from my news feed and then just spat them back out today. Craziness I tell you! On the plus side, I now get to enjoy Hauluary in February! Woot woot! 🙂

Ugh why am I just seeing this reply? 😮 WP!
I tried the hydrogel mask and it was just ok. I felt like I was going to tear the gel when applying it to my face. The good part is that these particular ones come in 2 pieces – one for top of the face, and the other half for the bottom. So I was able to customize the fit.

I was recently shopping at the Pacific Mall in Toronto (Markham) and there are a few stores with a nice selection of Korean beauty and skin care products. Look for the store name on the directory: Holika Holika, Missha, Amore/Aritaum. These stores also sell on their websites. Prices are reasonable in comparison to other brands sold in Canada. There also seemed to be a store selling Japanese beauty products, but I did not have time to check it out. Most malls in the Toronto area now have The Face Shop which sells Korean beauty and skincare. La neige and Amore products are available at Sephora.

Oh yes, I’ve seen those stores at Pacific Mall! I was on No-Buy so I was didn’t look at them because I’d be tempted. Good to know the prices are good – I usually think the prices in those stores are inflated compared to online. Yes, I love that The Face Shop is so accessible now. 🙂